Only Human
by iacssi111
Summary: Diana does some soul searching in light of Maia's latest vision. DianaMarco
1. Chapter 1

**Only Human**

Author: iacssi111

Summary: Diana does some soul searching in light of Maia's most recent vision.

Spoilers: Most of Season 3- especially Mommy's Bosses, Blink, The Ballad of Kevin and Tess, The Starzl Mutation, The Gospel According to Collier

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from The 4400

Note: I don't know about anyone else, but this whole "Ben" thing happened a little too fast for my taste, so I haven't really warmed up to him yet…I'm trying to be open minded, but for now I'm still partial to Marco, so I'm going to stick with him : )

Any and all feedback is appreciated!

Chapter 1

Diana Skouris was in that strange state between sleeping and waking; the state where you can't quite separate your dreams from reality, when she suddenly jerked in her seat, scaring not only herself, but her partner, Tom Baldwin, as well.

"Jeeez, Diana, don't let me keep you up or anything," Tom said sarcastically. Diana felt his concerned stare from across their desks as she rubbed her tired eyes. "Are you okay? Everything all right at home?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just haven't been sleeping well lately," She told him. Diana knew her response would not be enough to erase the worried glances Tom was giving her, but it was at least good enough to stop him from pressing further. The truth was that her problems were entirely personal, and although she and Tom were close, she wasn't ready to completely unload her life on him. No one ever said working for NTAC would be easy, but she was under an enormous amount of pressure and the stress from the recent events in both her personal and professional life were starting to take their toll. With the recent return of Jordan Collier, the events surrounding Kevin Burkhoff (including her becoming his personal lab rat) and Maia's new precognitions, Diana was emotionally and physically drained. Luckily, Diana and Tom were having a relatively slow day at NTAC. She was busy filing reports and he was busy making sure that charges against Alana were dropped entirely. Between work and trying to stay awake, Diana had managed to find some time to attempt to sort out her personal life.

The most troubling aspect as of late was Maia's precognition that she would end up marrying her sister's boyfriend, Ben. Though she was not overly convinced of the accuracy of this particular vision, Diana couldn't deny that it had an affect on her. She had felt something for Ben, although she was not sure if they were actual feelings or just the results of curiosity derived from Maia's announcement of her fate. She was somewhat taken aback at how seriously Ben took Maia's precognition. She certainly wasn't expecting him to break up with April, especially for her. She soon found herself shamelessly flirting with him in a grocery store, and then before she knew it, she was envisioning their life together. Since their 'date' at the grocery store, Diana had seen Ben a few more times (without April knowing, of course) and had enjoyed herself for the most part. He was wonderful, creative, handsome and smart, but there was something about him that she couldn't quite put her finger on. She had thought that they 'clicked' initially, but it eventually became evident that was not the case. The simple truth was, at the end of the day, she felt like a homewrecker. She didn't want to be that person, especially when her sister was involved and their relationship was strained enough as it was.

Slowly, Diana came to realize that she had really messed up and was in complete denial. She still had feelings for Marco. It finally hit her one day when she returned home. Maia had been at a friend's for dinner and Diana was dining alone. About half way through a glass of wine she found herself thinking about Marco and wishing he was there. She had even picked up her cell phone and considered calling him, but all she could do was stare at his name on her list of contacts. Tears had welled up in her eyes at that point from the sheer pain of being alone and the realization she couldn't just have Marco over; it wasn't fair to him. That night, she had thought long and hard about the choices she had and what needed to be done.

Diana looked up when she saw Tom get up to leave.

"Heading out?" She asked him.

"Yeah, I'm making dinner for Alana and Kyle tonight. You should head home too; you really look like you need some rest." Diana smiled wearily and shook her head.

"I think I'm going to stay here for another half an hour, just to finish things up. But don't worry, I'll head home soon." Tom smiled at her and gave her a look that said 'you better.' As he was about to leave he suddenly turned to her. "Oh! Hey, I was thinking about having a dinner to celebrate…You know, a 'My Son's out of Prison' celebration?" Tom said, laughing. "You should come. You're welcome to bring Maia or anyone you want."

"I would love to come," She told him, smiling at him. Diana was happy for Tom. His life was starting to return to normalcy. As normal as an NTAC agent's life can be anyway.

As she said good night to Tom she was already contemplating whether or not she should see Marco. Things had been extremely awkward between them. They were able to work professionally around each other, but Diana knew that their friendship had suffered. She sat in silence for a few minutes, getting completely lost in thought. A knock at her door made her jump. She looked up to see Marco standing in the doorway.

"Hey Diana. I'm heading out for the night. I'll…uh…see you tomorrow," He said, his discomfort clear in his voice. He turned to leave and before Diana knew what she was doing she called out to him.

"Marco, wait!" She stood up and started gathering her purse and coat as Marco returned.

"What's up?"

"Can you stop by my place tonight? Maybe around 9:00?" Her nervousness and hesitation was evident in her voice. Marco looked up and away from her, as if he was searching for the right answer.

"I don't know, Diana…."

"Marco, _please_. It's really important," Diana pleaded with him.

Marco knew that he would not be able to say 'no' to her. Not when she had that look in her eyes and not when she said his name like that. He slowly nodded his head.

"Okay. I'll be over at 9:00." Diana smiled and headed out the door and past him.

"I have to go pick up Maia at the Center. I'll see you later." She turned as she walked down the hallway. "Thank you, Marco." With that, she left, leaving Marco to slump against the wall, wondering what he had just gotten himself into.

Marco wandered around his apartment aimlessly, not knowing whether to be overjoyed or annoyed at the prospect of going over to Diana's. He wasn't even sure what she wanted to see him for. Knowing his luck, it was just going to be something work related. Glancing at his watch, he noted that it was only 6:45. _Great_, he thought to himself. _About three hours of anxiety left_. Usually willing to do anything Diana asked, Marco found himself completely frustrated. He was practically infatuated with Diana, but he also considered her a good friend. Their break up was easier to take than the dissolution of their friendship. Diana only came into the Theory Room when she absolutely needed to and avoided even looking at Marco. Marco missed their once playful banter and random conversations. He missed seeing her laugh and missed seeing her completely at ease around him. It saddened him that he no longer had anything to look forward to on Friday nights. He greatly missed the dinners he had with Diana and Maia. Sometimes, he could tell by the look in her eyes that she did too, but he knew Diana would never admit it. She was too stubborn to do so. _Maybe she just doesn't want to admit that she took advice from a hallucination_, he thought bitterly. Marco understood that the kid made people see their true feelings and what-not, but he also understood that no one knows the extent of the 4400s' abilities, and just maybe this kid might have been wrong. At least he'd like to think he was.

Marco sat down on his couch, running his hands through his dark hair. Maybe he was a masochist, but he decided that he was going to remind Diana of how he felt about her. He loved Diana, and he needed her to know it. If that didn't work out, then at least maybe they could salvage what was left of their friendship. He wanted her to at least know that no matter what happened, he was always going to be there for her and Maia, even if it meant putting his career and life on the line.

Thanks for reading! I hope to get Chapter 2 up soon!


	2. Chapter 2

**Only Human**

Author: iacssi111

Disclaimer: I do not own any of The 4400 characters.

Note: Thank you sooo much to everyone who left me those wonderful reviews! They were greatly appreciated and made me more motivated to get this chapter done: )

I think that I may do one more chapter after this, so be on the look out. As always, feedback is appreciated, especially since this is my first fanfic!

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Chapter 2

Diana let out a sigh of relief as she flipped her phone shut. _Well, that wasn't so bad_, she thought to herself. She had finally gotten up the nerve to call Ben and be honest with him. He had taken it surprisingly well. She had told him that she had feelings for someone else, and that she believed that Maia may have been off on her precognition. She had explained to him that them seeing each other wasn't fair to April and how it made her feel like a horrible sister. She even suggested that Ben apologize to April and try to make things work with her once more. Ben had been more than a little surprised, but he had taken it in stride. He too felt that everything was happening too fast and that he had felt an unsettling loss of control over his life. Diana had agreed, saying that she just didn't feel right with him and that she was going to do what she felt in her heart. Before she hung up with Ben, he had muttered, "Maybe in another life…" She had just smiled and bid him good bye.

Diana placed her cell phone down on the table and looked up, noticing Maia approaching her. She had a mischievous grin on her face and was holding something behind her back. Diana smiled back at her suspiciously.

"What are you up to, Maia?"

Maia shrugged and produced one of Diana's tops, a plum-colored silk camisole, from behind her back. Diana laughed.

"What is this for?" She asked.

"It's his favorite, Mommy," Maia replied with a sly smile.

"You little sneak!" Diana exclaimed, pulling Maia into her arms. Maia giggled as she tickled her. "You knew the whole time, didn't you? Was I not getting it fast enough for you?" Maia shook her head.

"It was supposed to happen this way," Maia told her.

"Oh I see, so you just left out a few details," Diana said, laughing. "But what about your Aunt April?"

"He's not right for her Mommy. She'll be okay. She's going to meet someone soon anyway."

"Well that's good to hear. Hopefully I won't like him too much," Diana said sarcastically. "Okay, let's go get started on dinner!"

Since adopting her, Diana had discovered that Maia was incredibly fond of cooking. Cooking together was one of their favorite things to do, and they especially loved cooking for Marco. As Diana showed Maia how to marinate the steak tips, she took the opportunity to talk to her daughter about her abilities.

"Maia, you know that I appreciate anything you tell me and that I will always listen to you and that I love you no matter what, but sometimes, I don't always want to know what's going to happen to me in the future. Sometimes I like to be surprised. Of course, if it's anything more important than Mommy's love life, _please_ tell me, but if not, you can let me figure out the rest. Deal?" She asked, holding out her hand. Maia smiled and shook her extended hand.

"Deal!" Maia exclaimed. "You better hurry and get dressed, Mommy. Marco will be here soon." Diana glanced at the clock and gasped.

"Oh, thanks sweetie!" She said, placing a kiss on the top of Maia's head. Taking of her apron, she hurried to her bedroom, Maia's choice of wardrobe in hand.

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As always, Marco arrived exactly on time. It never failed to amaze Diana how unbelievably punctual he was. What she didn't know was that Marco wasn't any more punctual than anyone else; he was just always punctual for her. When she opened the door to let him in, he had an uncertain smile on his face. Before she could say anything, Maia shouted his name and bounded up to him, grinning from ear to ear. Marco scooped her up in one swift motion and made his way into the apartment. When Marco set Maia down so that she could set the table, Diana noticed with some relief that he was carrying a bottle of merlot. She was definitely going to need it to say all the things she wanted to say to him.

"Thanks for coming Marco," She said, taking the bottle from him.

"Any time," He replied, smiling at her.

A little while later, they were sitting down to enjoy the dinner Diana and Maia had prepared. Diana was on her second glass of wine in what seemed like record time. Maia was eyeing her near empty glass.

"Can I have some wine, Mommy?" Marco laughed at Diana's shocked reaction.

"You're too young for wine, honey. At least wait until you're eighteen," She said sarcastically.

"Actually, these days, it's more like sixteen," Marco told her. Diana groaned.

"I do not need to know this," She said, laughing.

As they joked around, Diana was struck by how comfortable she felt. It just felt so _right_ to have Marco sitting next to her, eating dinner and talking with her daughter. She couldn't help but feel stupid for what she had done. _How could I have been so blind_?

"Are you okay, Diana?" Marco asked. Diana blushed a little when she realized that she had been staring at him. She nodded her head.

"Yeah, I'm fine Marco. Hey, why don't we all get some ice cream and watch a movie?" She suggested, quickly changing the subject.

After taking care of the dishes and grabbing some ice cream to share, all three of them settled on Diana's couch and got ready to watch _It's a Wonderful Life_. Although Marco had seen it on almost a yearly basis every Christmas, he was excited for Maia to see it. Diana had explained to him that Maia had never gotten to see it, since it was released in the same year she was abducted. Marco silently thanked Maia for curling up on the couch and taking up nearly half of the room on it. It enabled him to sit closer to Diana. Her thigh against his made him want to lean over and kiss her, but he had to keep reminding himself that they weren't actually together. Her proximity and the way she had been acting all night was only further confusing him. As much as he wanted to touch her, he knew that the first move would have to be hers.

Some time during the movie, Maia had managed to drift off to sleep. Marco couldn't help but wonder if the movie reminded her of her parents and her life back then. Throughout the movie, Diana made no effort to move away from him and they chatted comfortably about work. Diana asked him if he ever had any desire to be a field agent. He had laughed quietly and looked down at her, replying: "Only if I had you as backup." She had smiled and then they were silent for a long moment, both only half listening to the movie in the background. They were at the part where George was telling Mary that he would lasso the moon for her when Diana spoke.

"I made a mistake, Marco," She told him quietly. Marco turned to look at her, but she was looking down at her knees. She looked embarrassed or ashamed. It made Marco want to take her in his arms, but he wasn't sure what to do.

"What do you mean?" He asked, his voice full of apprehension. Diana finally looked up at him and placed her hand on his knee. Marco's heart started to race.

"I don't know what I was thinking…I mean, I was following the advice of a _hallucination_! And of my ex-boyfriend nonetheless! I was so wrong. I didn't listen to myself. I know that that kid was supposed to show me how I truly feel, but it just didn't feel right to me." She stopped for a few seconds, as if she were contemplating something. "Sometimes I think that we give the 4400 too much credit. We never think that they can make mistakes. They are only human." Diana let out an exhausted sigh. "I'll be honest with you Marco: I saw someone a few times. Not a lot; not _dating_ or anything like that. I thought that I might have something with this guy, but in the end, it just didn't feel right. I didn't feel a connection." Diana was quiet for a moment. Marco watched her nervously lick her lips. "I really miss you, Marco," She confessed. "I'm sorry if I have been confusing you or making things at work awkward, but I just had to tell you all of this. I understand completely if you don't feel the same way anymore. I've been a jerk." Marco swallowed nervously and took Diana's hand. Her confession about seeing another man after they had broken up had made him feel a little jealous, but he did his best to let it go. She wasn't with him; it hadn't worked out. He began tracing lazy circles on her hand with his thumb and they stared at one another.

"I'm in love with you," Marco told her bluntly. "You don't have to say anything back, I just wanted to…" He trailed off. "That's where I stand." Marco was surprised by his own confidence. It seemed to work for Diana as well, and Marco inhaled sharply when he felt her fingers in his hair. His hand was no longer and hers, and was working its way to her waist. Marco leaned towards her, and brushed her lips with his own. Her lips were warm and soft against his he continued to give her small, light kisses.

"_Marco_…" Diana breathed. Marco quickly pulled Diana into his arms, deepening their kiss. Marco was a bit surprised at how new all of this felt. It wasn't like the previous times they had kissed. There was more passion and a greater need between the two of them. One of Diana's hands moved from his hair to his back. His hands were on her back too, and he pressed her into him. Her tongue moved against his, hot and wet, and Marco thought he was going to lose it when she took his bottom lip in her mouth and sucked on it gently. Breaking away from the kiss, he began placing kisses right under her ear, making his way down her neck. Diana moaned quietly. Her hand made their way to his hair again, but he felt her pushing him away. "Hold on!" She whispered loudly. "Let me put Maia to bed." Marco turned around to look at Maia, who was sleeping soundly behind him. He had almost forgotten that she was there. He laughed quietly, shaking his head and Diana stood and scooped Maia up in her arms. Marco watched as she carried Maia into her bedroom. He smiled when she looked back and winked at him. She was driving him crazy, but in a very good way. He sat back on the couch, running his hands along his legs to his knees. He tried to be patient, but he was anxious for Diana to come back. She emerged about ten minutes later, pulling Maia's door shut behind her. As she approached the couch, Marco held out his hand to her, and she obliged, taking it and letting him pull her into his lap. They began kissing once again and Marco's hands were all over her. Before he knew it, Diana had slid off his lap and pulled him down on top of her. Marco didn't think that he had ever wanted anyone so much in his entire life. He broke their kiss to remove his glasses, placing them on the coffee table next to them. Diana used the opportunity to begin unbuttoning his shirt and running her hands down his chest and stomach. As she undid the final button, Marco turned his attention back to her neck. She moaned and muttered something about "bedroom." Marco didn't have to think twice before he pulled her up and led her there, making sure to lock the door behind them.

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Diana awoke the next morning to the rhythmic rise of fall of Marco's chest. She raised her head up off of it too look at him. She smiled when she saw his wild hair and how peaceful he looked in his sleep. Marco had been everything she thought he would be the night before. He was very much a giver, very attentive to her and a complete gentleman. She wouldn't have expected anything less from him. Diana stretched and scooted up towards him to lay a kiss on his cheek. He stirred slightly, but did not wake up. She took the opportunity to slip out of bed and throw on a hoodie and some sweats. When she emerged from her room she found Maia on the couch, watching the Saturday morning cartoons.

"Good morning, Maia," She greeted her.

"Morning, Mommy. Did Marco sleep over?" She asked, holding up his glasses that he had left on the table. Diana smiled.

"Yes he did, honey. Why don't we make breakfast for him before he wakes up?" Maia nodded enthusiastically and followed her mother into the kitchen.

The smell of bacon and coffee was enough to rouse Marco and he emerged from her bedroom, dressed in last night's clothes. She smiled at the thought of him doing the "walk of shame" (as it had been referred to in college) back to his car.

"Good morning, Marco," She and Maia said in unison.

"Good morning, ladies," He said, smiling. He came up behind Diana and put his hands on her hips. She put down the spatula she had been holding and turned around in his arms. Muttering a quiet "hi", she placed a gentle kiss on his lips. Marco returned the kiss and then pulled away from her, moving to the silverware drawer to gather forks and knives for them. Diana smiled and thought that this was something that she could get used to. The three of them together felt right; like it was supposed to be. She made a solemn vow to listen to herself from now on and what she felt. She was no longer going to let anything else dictate her fate.


	3. Chapter 3

**Only Human**

Author: iacssi111

Spoilers: The end of Season 2 and Season 3 up to The Gospel of Jordan Collier.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of The 4400 characters, even though I wish I did so that I could make them do whatever I want…Oh well.

Note: This is my third and final chapter. It's just a short one to wrap things up, so enjoy! It's got a little more fluff than the previous two. I would like to thank everyone who took the time to read and review my story. Everyone was very encouraging and motivating! Thank you all so much! Here's a new side of Marco…hope you like it as much as I do ; )

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Chapter 3

A week had come and gone since Diana had finally come to her senses. Much to her and Maia's delight, Marco had been at her apartment almost every night. Diana was convinced now, more than ever, that this was going to work. Even things at NTAC were going well. Diana and Marco frequently took lunch breaks together, which were nice distractions from the often stressful nature of their jobs. They remained quite professional while on the clock. Diana didn't even think anyone had noticed the change in their relationship. However, at the current moment, professional was the last thing that Diana felt like. She had been walking by Theory Room when Marco had surprised her and suddenly grabbed her and pulled her in. She hadn't intended to even stop by since she was so busy. Marco quickly silenced her conscience and made her feel like she had all the time in the world.

Currently, she was pressed up against the wall of the Theory Room and Marco was doing amazing things with his tongue. He nipped and sucked on her earlobe, eliciting a moan from her. The files in her hand forgotten, they fell to and scattered all over the floor. Her hands went to his chest and she began to push him away.

"Marco! What are you doing? There are security cameras everywhere!" She protested. He quickly covered her mouths with his.

"I disabled them," He said in between kisses. Diana felt a surge of heat rush through her body in reaction to his brazenness. She gave in, bringing her hands up to the back of his head and running her fingers through his hair. She sighed as Marco's hands went to the small of her back and pulled her against him. He was kissing her neck and Diana had almost forgotten that they were at NTAC and that she was supposed to be working. She tilted her head back against the wall and continued to let Marco work his way down her throat. Her eyes snapped open when she heard someone in the doorway next to them.

"Whoa! Sorry guys…I'll…uh…come by later," Tom said, a shocked expression quickly turning into a bemused one. The couple watched him turn and leave and heard him laugh as he walked down the hall. Diana couldn't help but laugh herself.

"Whoops…" Marco said, a sly grin forming on his face. Diana reached up to smooth down his now disheveled hair. Bringing her hands down to cup his face, she got serious.

"Marco, as amazing as that was, you and I need to be a little more careful," She told him. Marco looked slightly disappointed. "We'll just have to lock the door next time…" She said seductively. She smiled and gave him a quick kiss, collected the files on the floor and headed out of the Theory Room to face the music with Tom.

As Diana strode into their office, Tom looked up from his desk and immediately started to chuckle.

"Diana Skouris, necking on the job…" He said, shaking his head. Diana scowled at him.

"Shut up, Tom." Tom was cracking up at this point, causing Diana to roll her eyes. "Tom!" She yelled.

"I'm sorry. I just didn't expect that," He told her as he was wiping at his eyes.

"Well, I'm glad I could make your day," She said, annoyed. Tom stopped chuckling long enough to be serious.

"Seriously, though, I'm happy for you. Marco's a good guy. A lot younger too, so you know, good for you," He said, cracking up again.

"TOM!" Diana threw a pen at him. "Come on, we have work to do," She told him, trying to keep a straight face.

"Yeah, okay. Oh, hey, you should really bring Marco and Maia to Kyle's dinner tomorrow, Diana," He told her.

"Well, I'm not going to if you're going to laugh at me all night."

"No, no. I promise. You just took me by surprise today, that's all. I really do think it's great."

"Thanks Tom. We'll be there," She told him, smiling.

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The next evening, Diana, Marco and Maia arrived at Tom's house for Kyle's dinner. Maia skipped ahead of Marco and Diana, who walked hand in hand behind her. She rang the doorbell excitedly. She was very fond of Tom and Alana. Marco turned and looked at Diana.

"This should be interesting," He said wryly. Diana gave him a small smile.

"It'll be fine," She told him.

The door opened and Alana quickly ushered them into the house. Kyle gave Diana a hug and shook Marco's hand.

"Alana, Kyle, this is Marco Pacella. Marco, this is Alana and this is Kyle," She said gesturing to them. Marco smiled and said "hi". Maia squealed with delight when she saw Shawn approaching them. He bent down to engulf her in a hug. Maia and Shawn had grown close after being in quarantine together. Shawn shook both Diana's and Marco's hands.

"Glad to see you could get away from the Center for an evening," She said, smiling. "You must be so happy to have Jordan back." Shawn smiled.

"Yeah, who would've thought? Hey, Uncle Tom and Alana almost have dinner ready, so let's go sit."

"Shawn, can I sit next to you!" Maia asked, looking up at him expectantly.

"Of course you can! I wouldn't want to sit next to anyone else," He told her. She grinned and took her seat beside him at the dining room table. Diana smiled at Marco and he pulled out her chair for her. She obliged, and Marco took his seat next to her. As Tom and Alana began serving everyone, Diana took a hold of Marco's hand underneath the table. He smiled at her and gave it a reassuring squeeze, as if to say 'everything's going to be all right'. In what was a very uncertain time for NTAC and the 4400, Diana relished the rare moment of peace and quiet.


End file.
